Container spout



Jan. 29, 1963 .1. E. BORAH CONTAINER SPOUT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 31. 1959 FIG. 2

FIG.

INVENTOR. JOHN E. BORAl-l m an ATTORNEY Jan. 29, 1963 .1. E. BORAH 3,075,676

CONTAINER SPOUT Filed July 31. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 51 -6; l2 F '6. 4 INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH BY m. a. 24%:-

ATTORNEY Jan. 29, 1963 J. E. BORAH 3,07

CONTAINER sPauT- Filed July 31. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOHN E. BORAH ATTORNEY Ilnited States Patent 3,075,676 CONTAINER SPQUT John E. Boa-ah, South Bend Modern Molding Inc., 815 E. Mishawaka Ave, Mishawalra, Ind. Filed July 31, I959, Ser. No. 830,833 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-527) The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to collapsible or retractable spouts for containers.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a spout for containers used in supplying fuel oil, kerosene and gasoline to tanks of burners, cooking stoves, space heaters and other types of heaters, motors and ap pliances, which eliminates spillage and reduces vapors and consequently eliminates or minimizes the hazard of fire and explosion in homes, shops and manufacturing plants and saves life and property loss.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retractable spout for containers, which can be easily snapped into place at the pour opening in the container at the factory, service station, farm or home, either singly or in a mass production operation, without the use of any tools or equipment, and which will remain firmly in place on the container until it is intentionally removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retractable spout for containers, such as one to five gallon oil cans and larger drums having necks or pour openings ranging in diameter up to three inches, which can be assembled in place on the container either before or after it has been filled, by merely pressing the base of the spout with a straight downward motion into the neck or pour opening, and which automatically forms an effective seal between the base and the structure defining the neck or pour opening.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a container spout which can be attached to the container at the time the container is filled and sealed and which is ready to use as soon as the container cap is removed and/ or the seal broken.

A further object is to provide a container spout of flexible foldable material which can be assembled on a container by hand using unskilled or inexperienced help or by machines automatically as the containers move along assembly or filling lines and which permits the cap or seal to be readily assembled in place without any interference from the spout.

Another object of the invention is to provide a snap-on retractable spout for containers having an inwardly extending flange or bead around the pour opening, which inherently grips the flange or head when it is assembled in place on the container, to form an effective seal between the container and spout and to prevent accidental dislodging of the spout from the opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spout having a built-in vent, which can be assembled as a unit onto a container and thereafter folded into the pour opening without any interference from the vent.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of my spout showing it assembled on the neck of a cOntainer, such as a five gallon can;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross sectional View of the spout and container neck shown in FIGURE 1, with the spout extended in pouring position;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the spout shown in FIGURES l and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross sectional view of the spout shown in the preceding figures, illustrating the man- ICE ner in which the spout folds into the container neck, permitting the cap to be secured into place on the neck;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of a portion of the spout and container neck, showing the manner in which the spout is assembled on the container;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of a portion of the spout showing details in the construction of the base thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical cross sectional view of a modified form, showing the spout attached to a container neck;

FIGURES 8 and 9 are top plan and side elevational views, respectively, of a part of the attaching means of the spout shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 10 is a vertical cross sectional view of a further modified form, showing the spout attached to a container neck;

FIGURE 11 is a bottom view of the spout shown in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a part of the attaching means of the spout shown in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view of still another modified form similar to the one shown in FIGURES 7 through 9;

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of a portion of a spout base showing the details in the construction of a modified form;

FIGURE 15 is a vertical cross sectional view of a further modified form of my spout showing it in its extended position on a container neck;

FIGURE 16 is a vertical cross sectional view of the spout shown in FIGURE 15, showing it in its folding position;

FIGURE 17 is a vertical cross sectional view of still another modified form of my spout in its extended position;

FIGURE 18 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view of the spout shown in FIGURE 17, showing it in a partially folded position; and

FIGURE 19 is a vertical cross sectional view of the spout shown in FIGURE 17, showing it in its fully folded position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 through 5, numeral 20 designates a neck of a container adapted to receive a screw cap 22, numeral 24 my retractable spout consisting of an annular base 26, a hollow conical section 28 joined at its large end to the base, a neck 30 joined at its lower end to the upper end of the conical section and having a passage 32 therethrough, and a vent means 34 extending generally parallel with passage 32 through the conical section to a point near the bottom of base 26. The neck of the container is provided with an annular ridge 44 at the top and an inwardly extending annular flange or head 42, the one shown consisting of a trough-like flange spaced inwardly from the upper edge of the neck and having an upwardly extending inner edge 44. The entire structure of the spout is of one-piece molded rubber, although other materials such as flexible plastic material may be used if desired.

One of the principal features of this type of spout is its easy retractability into the pour opening of the container on which it is mounted and the complete non-interference of the spout with the capping of the container with a screw or crown type closure. The spout will maintain the positions shown in FIGURES l and 2 until it is intentionally retracted to the position shown in FIGURE 4, substantially fully within the pour opening or neck of the container. Vent 34 retracts with the spout without interfering with the spout foldability. The diameter of the neck gradually enlarges from the base at the conical sec- 3 tion to the upper free end and the walls thereof likewise gradually thicken from the conical section to the free end. This construction facilitates folding and unfolding of the spout and the rolling of the lower portion of the neck upon itself in the manner shown at numeral 50 in FIG- URE 4, without weakening the free end of the spout to the extent that it will not hold its shape while liquid is being poured therefrom.

In filling and capping containers in assembly line operations, it is often important to be able to apply the spout with a single simple operation either manually or by machine. The present spout fulfills this requirement by a specially designed attaching structure on base 26 consisting of an annular overhanging marginal portion 54 adapted to seat firmly on the upper surface and free edge of flange 42 and on ridge 40 and form an effective fluidt'ight seal therewith, and a plurality of spaced lugs 56 on the lower periphery 58 for snapping under and engaging the lower surface of flange 42. As clearly seen in FIG- URES 1 through 6, the lugs are tapered upwardly and outwardly from a point adjacent periphery 58, which is somewhat smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of flange 42, to a point well under the flange, preferably to the lowest point on the flange. In this embodiment the lugs are formed integrally with base 26, and the lugs and base yield sufficiently to permit the lugs readily to" pass'flange 42 when the spout is snapped into place.

The marginal portion 54 consists of a distinct annular, flange 60, the underside of which seats on ridge 40, and a sealing head 62 which seats on the upper surface of flange 42; thus forming two distinct seals, one on ridge 40 and the other on flange 42. The distance between the over"- hanging-margnial portion 54 and the lugs is such that the marginal portion and possibly the lugs must be distorted somewhat to assemble the spout on flange 42, as illustrated inFIGURE 5. When used with the curved flange oft-he type shown in FIGURES 2-, 4 and 5, the lugs are preferably tapered outwardly and downwardly on their upper surfaces 63, as shown in FIGURE 6, to facilitate seating the lugs under the flange. The diameter of annular surface 63 may be slightly larger than the diameter of the inner edge of flange 42 so that a seal can be 'produced between said surface and edge when the spout is assembled properly on the neck. Another important feature of the present spout embodiment is the annular groove 64 at the bottom of conical section 28 and the straight sided portion 66 forming the lower part of section 28. The walls of section 28 are also thinnest adjacent the groove as shown at numeral 66. By this construction the initial folding of the spout occurs at this point when the spout is collapsed into the container neck and as a result an orderly folding of the conical section into base 26 is-eflectively obtained. The manner in which the initial folding occurs is illustrated in FIGURE 6. The upper surface of flange 60 is also rounded in the manner shown in order to facilitate the formation of an effective seal on ridge 40 without interfering with securing of the cap 22 to the container neck.

In assembling the spout just described onto a container, it is only necessary to place the annular base 26 in substantial alignment with the container pour opening and press the spout downwardly until the marginal portion 54 seats on flange 42 and lugs 56 lock under the flange. Whenthis simple attaching operation has been completed, the spoutis held firmly in place on the container neck or other pour opening with the base 26 in fluid-tight relationship with flange 42' and will not become accidentally displaced or leak around the flange during any normal use of the spout or container. An effective seal is formed between the spout and container neck even though not all of the lugs have been pressed beneath the flange during the assembly operation. When the cap 22 is to be secured to the neck, the spout is pushed downwardly into the neck into'its fully telescoped position and the cap screwed on a 4 the neck in the same manner and with the same ease as if the spout were not attached to the neck.

In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGURES 7, 8 and 9, the spout is basically the same as the previously described embodiment, including an annular base 70, a hollow conical section 72 joined at its large end to the base, and a neck 74 joined to the small end of the conical section and having a passage 76 therethrough. The container neck 78 is provided with an internal flange 80 positioned inwardly from the open end of the neck. in the attaching means in this embodiment the lugs 32 are of metal and are formed as an integral part of a metal ring 84 seated in an annular recess in the lower peripheral portion of base 70. The ring is sufliciently resilient to permit the lugs 82 to snap under flange 80 and lock the spout in place on the container neck in the manner shown in FIGURE 7. The ring which is shown separate from the spout may contain three or more lugs 82 spaced around the outside surface, usually formed by pressing the metal of the ring outwardly to form a barblike lug tapering downwardly and inwardly toward the bottom from a substantially straight upper surface 86.

In order to give greater clearance between the flange defining the pour opening and the annular base of the spout, the rin-g'may be tapered downwardly and inwardly in the manner shown in the modified form illustrated in FIGURE 13, numerals 82' and 84' indicating the parts thereof; Theconstruction of the spout is otherwise the same as that described with reference to the previous embodiments. The metal ring formed as shown in either FIGURE 8 or 13 may be assembled on the spout base after the rubber portion has been completed, or the rubber portion maybe molded onto the ring during the fabricating operation. To facil-tiate assembly of the spout on the container, an'extension 88 of the base into the lower portion of the conical section may be included, thus providing a heavy section of material to which downward pressure can be applied.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIG- URES 10, 11 and 12 is similar to the embodiment shown inFIGURES 1 through 6 with the exception that a metal ring 90 with a plurality of lugs 92 is employed in place of rubber lugs. This type of ring can be stamped and formed from sheet metal in a single operation and can easily be assembled on thespout base 93 by seating it in an annular groove '94. Lugs 92 are slightly resilient and snap under the bead around the container opening when the spout is pushed downwardly into the container opening. The flange 95 seats on the upper surface of flange 80 without a sealing bead and is held in sealing engagement with said surface by lugs 92.

In order to obtain a fluid seal between the spout base and the container around the poor opening, a sealing bead 96 is'provided on the under side of flange 98 of the base. The bead is highly flexible and readily conforms to the configuration of the flange 80 and forms a tight seal with the upper surface thereof when the spout has been assembled on the container. The manner in which the bead% seats on the upper surface of the flange is indicated at numeral 99. This type of sealing head can be used with any of the spout embodiments shown herein.

The modified form of the invention disclosed in'FIG- URES' 15 and 16 is similar to the form shown in FIG- URES 1 through 6 but the lugs have been replaced by a screw thread locking ring 101. The spout above the base 102 consisting of conical section 104 and neck 106 folds almost completely below the upper surface of the base when cap 107 is applied to the container, leaving only a small portion of the spout projecting above the container neck, as shown in FIGURE 16. Ring 101 has internally extending flange 108 which clamps flange 110 firmly against the upper end 111 of neck 112 and seats sealing bead 96 onto the upper Surface of flange 113. The externalsurface of ring 101 is threaded in the same manner as neck112 and receives container cap 107 as shown in FIGURE 16. The central opening in ring 101 permits the spout to move freely between the positions shown in FIGURES 15 and 16. Once the spout is secured onto the neck, ring 101 remains in place and does not interfere with the capping and uncapping of the container. An annular groove 115 is included in the base adjacent the' bottom of the conical section to facilitate folding of the spout as described with reference to the embodiment in FIGURES 1 through 6.

The modified form of my spout shown in FIGURES 17 through 19 is similar to the form shown in FIGURES 15 and 16 except a conical section 119 with straight sides has been substituted for the contoured sides of the previous embodiment. This construction provides easy access to the heavy base 120 for the tool or machine applying the downward pressure to seat the spout on the container. To assist in the folding of the spout into the container, an annular rib 122 is provided on the external surface of the conical section preferably located near, but spaced from, the bottom of neck 124. When pressure is applied to the top of the spout during the folding operation, the conical section initially breaks in the space between the base of the neck and the top side of rib 122, as shown in FIGURE 18. Thereafter the conical section folds inwardly from the top downwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 19. The exact location and shape of rib 122 is not critical.

The lugs or barbs are preferably wedge-shaped as shown; however, protrusions of other shapes may be used in their place if desired, and the lugs will function satisfactorily with various shapes of flanges and beads surrounding the container pour opening. In the claims, the word container flange refers to and is intended to mean any type of internally extending member whether straight, rolled or otherwise curved, unless specifically defined as to structure, and the terms downwardly facing and the like in the claims are used merely for convenience and are not intended as limitations on the position or use of the spout.

While a number of embodiments of my snap-0n retractable spout have been shown and described herein, various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a container having a round pour opening therein with an internal annular flange: a retractable spout comprising an annular base of rubber or rubber-like material, a horizontal external flange at the upper edge of said base, said external flange being upwardly deflectable and having an annular downwardly facing sealing surface for seating on the upper side of said first mentioned flange, a sealing bead on said surface, an annular groove at the inner edge of said external flange disposed directly above the external surface of said base, an annular surface facing outwardly on said base disposed below and inwardly from said sealing surface, a plurality of spaced lugs on said annular surface, said lugs tapering downwardly and inwardly toward the bottom and having an upper substantially horizontal inwardly extending surface when engaging said container flange for locking the spout on the container, the distance between horizontal planes at the top of the lugs and at the lower side of said sealing surface being less than the distance between the parts of the container engaged thereby and said sealing surface being sufficiently flexible to permit said lugs to snap beneath the lower side of said flange, a flexible conical section joined at its large end to said base spaced inwardly from the edge thereof and being adapted to fold downwardly into said base, and a neck with a passage therethrough joined to the small end of said conical section.

2. In combination with a container having a round pour opening therein with an internal flange: a retractable spout comprising an annular base of resilient rubber-like material, a horizontal external flange at the upper edge of said base, said external flange being upwardly deflectable and having an annular downwardly facing portion for seating on the upper side of said first mentioned flange, an annular groove at the inner edge of said external flange disposed directly above the external surface of said base, an annular surface facing outwardly on said base disposed below and inwardly from said portion, a plurality of spaced lugs projecting outwardly from said annular surface, said lugs tapering downwardly and inwardly toward the bottom and having an upper substantially horizontal surface when engaging said container flange for locking the spout on the container, the distance between horizontal planes at the top of the lugs and at the lower side of said downwardly facing portion being less than the distance between the parts of the container engaged thereby and said downwardly facing portion being sufliciently flexible to permit said lugs to snap beneath the lower side of said flange, and a hollow member joined to said base for directing the flow of fluid from the container.

3. A spout for a container having means defining a round pour opening therein, comprising a rubber-like base, a horizontal external flange at the upper edge of said base, said external flange being upwardly deflectable and having an annular downwardly facing portion for seating on the upper side of said means, a sealing bead on said surface, an annular groove at the inner edge of said external flange disposed directly above the external surface of said base, an annular surface facing outwardly on said base, a plurality of spaced lugs on said surface for engaging said means having a substantially horizontal surface when locking the spout on the container, the distance between horizontal planes at the top of the lugs and at the lower side of said downwardly facing portion being less than the distance between the parts of the container engaged thereby and said downwardly facing portion being sufliciently flexible to permit said lugs to snap beneath the lower side of said means, and a hollow member joined to said base for directing the flow of fluid from the container.

4. In combination with a container having means defining a round pour opening therein with an internal flange: a spout comprising a rubber-like base, a horizontal external flange at the upper edge of said base, said external flange being upwardly deflectable and having an annular downwardly facing portion for seating on the upper side of said means, a sealing head on said surface, an annular groove at the inner edge of said external flange disposed directly above the external surface of said base, an annular surface facing outwardly on said base, a plurality of spaced lugs on said surface having a substantially horizontal upper surface when engaging said container flange for locking the spout on the container, the distance between horizontal planes at the top of the lugs and at the lower side of said downwardly facing portion being less than the distance between the parts of the container engaged thereby and said downwardly facing portion being sufficiently flexible to permit said lugs to snap beneath the lower side of said flange, and a hollow member joined to said base and spaced inwardly from the edge thereof for directing the flow of fluid from the container.

5. In combination with a container having means defining a round pour opening therein with an internal flange: a retractable spout comprising a rubber-like base, a horizontal external flange at the upper edge of said base, said external flange being upwardly deflectable and having a curved upper surface, an annular groove at the inner edge of said external flange disposed directly above the external surface of said base, an annular downwardly facing portion for seating on the upper side of said means, projection means having an upper substantially horizontal surface when extending beneath said container flange for locking the spout on the container, the distance between horizontal planes at the top of said projection means and at the lower side of said downwardly facing portion being less than the distance between the parts of the container engaged thereby and said downwardly facing portion being sufliciently flexible to permit said means to snap beneath the lower side of said flange, and a hollow member joined to said base and spaced inwardly from the edge thereof for directing the flow of fluid from the container.

6. In combination with a container having a round pour opening therein with an internal flange: a retractable spout comprising an annular base of resilient rubber-like material, a horizontal external flange at the upper edge of said base, said external flange being upwardly deflectable and having an annular downwardly facing portion for seating on the upper side of said first mentioned flange, an annular groove at the inner edge of said external flange disposed directly above the external surface of said base, an annular surface facing outwardly on said base disposed below and inwardly from said portion, a plurality of spaced lugs on said annular surface, said lugs tapering downwardly and inwardly toward the bottom and having an upper substantially horizontal surface when extending beneath said container flange for locking the spout on the containerQan annular sealing surface on said outwardly facing: surface betweensaid annular portion and said lugs, the distance between horizontal planes at the top. of the lugs and at the lower side of said downwardly facing portion being. less than the distance between the parts of the container engaged thereby and said downward-1y facing portion being sufficiently flexible to permit said lugs to snap beneath the lower side of said flange, a flexible conical section joined at its large end to said base adjacent the inner and upper edge thereof, and a neck with a passage therethrough joined to the small end of said conical section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,848,130 Jesnig "Aug. 19, 1958 2,889,079 Livingstone June 2, 1959 2,889,967 Drennan June 9, 1959 2,938,643 Geiser et a1 May. 31, 19:60 2,979,239 Collins Apr. 11, 196 1 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CONTAINER HAVING A ROUND POUR OPENING THEREIN WITH AN INTERNAL ANNULAR FLANGE: A RETRACTABLE SPOUT COMPRISING AN ANNULAR BASE OF RUBBER OR RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL, A HORIZONTAL EXTERNAL FLANGE AT THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID BASE, SAID EXTERNAL FLANGE BEING UPWARDLY DEFLECTABLE AND HAVING AN ANNULAR DOWNWARDLY FACING SEALING SURFACE FOR SEATING ON THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED FLANGE, A SEALING BEAD ON SAID SURFACE, AN ANNULAR GROOVE AT THE INNER EDGE OF SAID EXTERNAL FLANGE DISPOSED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID BASE, AN ANNULAR SURFACE FACING OUTWARDLY ON SAID BASE DISPOSED BELOW AND INWARDLY FROM SAID SEALING SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF SPACED LUGS ON SAID ANNULAR SURFACE, SAID LUGS TAPERING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY TOWARD THE BOTTOM AND HAVING AN UPPER SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL INWARDLY EXTENDING SURFACE WHEN ENGAGING SAID CONTAINER FLANGE FOR LOCKING THE SPOUT ON THE CONTAINER, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN HORIZONTAL PLANES AT THE TOP OF THE LUGS AND AT THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID SEALING SURFACE BEING LESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PARTS OF THE CONTAINER ENGAGED THEREBY AND SAID SEALING SURFACE BEING SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE TO PERMIT SAID LUGS TO SNAP BENEATH THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID FLANGE, A FLEXIBLE CONICAL SECTION JOINED AT ITS LARGE END TO SAID BASE SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE EDGE THEREOF AND BEING ADAPTED TO FOLD DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID BASE, AND A NECK WITH A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH JOINED TO THE SMALL END OF SAID CONICAL SECTION. 